More than a quarter of taxis checked during an operation in Northamptonshire town had problems

The safety of taxis and their customers was the focus of an operation in Daventry.
The operation in Chaucer WayThe operation in Chaucer Way
The operation in Chaucer Way

The initiative saw licensing enforcement officers from Daventry District Council working in partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to check taxis and taxi drivers.

The district council is responsible for licensing taxi drivers, vehicles and operating firms.

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Taxis were pulled over in the town centre and directed towards a checking area in the Chaucer Way car park at the bottom of Ashby Road in Daventry.

DVSA officers then performed checks on the vehicles’ road-worthiness, while DDC’s licensing officers checked the drivers’ details to ensure they were licensed, that they had the correct badges on display, that first aid kits were properly stocked and in-date, the serviceability of fire extinguishers, and the general cleanliness of the vehicles.

Of the 21 vehicles checked during the day-long operation, three were pulled up for bald or damaged tyres, two for minor mechanical faults and one for having a sat-nav positioned so that it obstructed the windscreen.

Prohibition notices were issued to the drivers instructing them to have the issues fixed within four hours and return to show the necessary work had been done.

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Those who failed to return within the time had to have their vehicles repaired and put through an MOT before they could drive them as taxis with fare paying passengers again.

A number of minor advisory matters were also uncovered, including two vehicles with out-of-date first aid kits, two with sidelights not working, one with a rear number plate light not working and one with a rear indicator which was white.

Simon Bovey, deputy chief executive at Daventry District Council, said: “Taxi licenses offer peace of mind for passengers that the operator has completed thorough medical and criminal checks, that they are competent behind the wheel with at least a basic knowledge of the local area, and that their vehicle is safe.

“Proactive enforcement operations such as this help us ensure that high standards are maintained and we will continue to expect taxi drivers to fully comply with them at all times.”